He accepted one of the offences, telling the jury at trial that it was an isolated incident.He continues to deny the rest of the offending, which included numerous instances of him touching her, kissing her and on one occasion raping her. "You effectively used your little daughter as a sex toy," Judge Orchard said.
In a victim impact statement she read to the court, the girl's mother said she had to teach her daughter how to handle her family turning their backs on her. Her daughter had lost half her whānau. She self-harmed and was suicidal.
The offending had taken its toll on her too, the woman said. She felt like a failure and sometimes suicidal for not picking up the signs of the abuse or protecting her daughter from it.
The sentencing had been adjourned three times, which was "devastating", the woman said. It was emotionally draining trying to prepare to face the person who had betrayed their trust the most.
She was enraged by him for putting their daughter through the shame and embarrassment of exposing her truth to strangers at a trial and prolonging her chance of healing.
Turning to the man's relatives in court, the woman told them to cut her daughter from their family tree. She alone would take responsibility for "all the girl's goodness and all the struggles she would have to go through".
Setting a starting point of 13 years imprisonment for the lead offence of rape, Orchard gave discounts totalling 20 per cent - 15 per cent were for matters in a cultural report and 5 per cent for previous good character as supported by numerous testimonials.
Counsel Jo Wickliffe sought an additional 15 per cent for factors in a psychological report detailing the man's fractured childhood, his early exposure to adult sexuality and the normalisation of it. He had been emotionally and sexually abused, including by older boys in placement homes and later by his father's wife.
The psychologist said the man's abusive background led to his high sex drive and predestined him for aberrant sexual activity as an adult with no sexual boundaries. In fact, it was counter-intuitive for him to have made it to 44 without any suggestion of earlier such offending, the psychologist said.
Judge Orchard accepted the submissions but refused to give an additional discount for them, saying they were already covered by the discount credit given for cultural report factors.
She said it was ironic that the man wanted an additional discount for the impact of sexual abuse on him but denied his daughter's allegations. It was shocking that he could pen a lengthy affidavit about all the damage done to him, but not express any concern for his daughter.
The judge rejected the Crown's submission for a minimum non-parole period saying it was sufficient for the parole board to decide when to release him. But it should not be before his sexual deviancy was addressed with a significant impact and not without release conditions to ensure the safety of children and young people.
She noted the man previously worked with young people and it appeared no one was alive to the risk he posed.
SEXUAL HARM
Where to get help:
If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7:
• Call 0800 044 334
• Text 4334
• Email support@safetotalk.nz
• For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nz
Alternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list.
If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it's not your fault.
